Survival Strike - Is it a Bird, Is it a Plane.. NO.. its a
by Jules · 09/11/2010 (8:39 am) · 18 comments
... Parachute
Thought I'd touch base a little on the tactical side of Survival Strike that will be added towards the end of the BETA stages. Parachute deployment with a cargo container that only you can open with a 4 digit code. The main purpose of this is to equip yourself with weapons, ammo and other items required to achieve mission objectives and defend yourself against other players / AI that are just too difficult to defeat without any extra help. Your cargo is then deployed to your specified drop-zone location. However, the only downside to this is that once you have the items from your container, you can be ambushed for those items on your possession until you can get them into safe storage or deploy a perimeter forcefield while you take and equip items. More on safe storage and perimeter force fields later..
Screenshot of the Parachute and container attached for deployment:
Parachute in action:
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#4
09/11/2010 (4:47 pm)
Would you sell this?
#5
@Ivan - yes, bones were used and thanks.
@Rene - thanks.
09/11/2010 (5:28 pm)
@Daniel - thanks again.@Ivan - yes, bones were used and thanks.
@Rene - thanks.
#7
Is deployment based on current position or some sort of positional beacon/marker?
Or can you use something like the Command Map support drop in the old Combat Starter Kit? It also had a halfway decent parachute control system used for spawning that I've considered using at "capture points" to allow for forward respawning in one of my projects. Definitely could use such a nicely done parachute.
09/12/2010 (12:07 pm)
Cool! That's an awesome looking parachute.Is deployment based on current position or some sort of positional beacon/marker?
Or can you use something like the Command Map support drop in the old Combat Starter Kit? It also had a halfway decent parachute control system used for spawning that I've considered using at "capture points" to allow for forward respawning in one of my projects. Definitely could use such a nicely done parachute.
#8
09/12/2010 (12:21 pm)
@Michael - I'll be using AFX for this :) to select a custom drop zone, or to specify drop-zones on a map. The game will be using hand-held weapons as well as tactical weapons that are target or area specific (radius based), player abilities are gained through experience.
#9
Edit: I used CSK when it first came out, and the Commander Map would never work on Vista machines, so never had the pleasure of trying that out.
What I do need is a good flyby transporter plane to drop the parachute out from, either that or I just fake it beyond the visible sky-line, run a sound underneath with distance to simulate the craft going overhead and then spawn the parachute and drop it through gravity and wind velocity with maybe a ray cast or AFX to guide it to ground level before the second animation sequence is set, then unclipping the parachute from the container, making the parachute then fade out. It would look silly if the parachute landed on a building (not sure yet) without adding physics into it, so I'll need to fade it out as soon as the parachute collapses.
Alternatively the parachute can just be there for show, with it mounted to the container which has weight added to it to make it drop. I'll have to try a few things out. I wonder if Rigidshape on the container would be useful for this.
09/12/2010 (12:24 pm)
@Michael - I guess you could use defined spawn areas also. Edit: I used CSK when it first came out, and the Commander Map would never work on Vista machines, so never had the pleasure of trying that out.
What I do need is a good flyby transporter plane to drop the parachute out from, either that or I just fake it beyond the visible sky-line, run a sound underneath with distance to simulate the craft going overhead and then spawn the parachute and drop it through gravity and wind velocity with maybe a ray cast or AFX to guide it to ground level before the second animation sequence is set, then unclipping the parachute from the container, making the parachute then fade out. It would look silly if the parachute landed on a building (not sure yet) without adding physics into it, so I'll need to fade it out as soon as the parachute collapses.
Alternatively the parachute can just be there for show, with it mounted to the container which has weight added to it to make it drop. I'll have to try a few things out. I wonder if Rigidshape on the container would be useful for this.
#10
I had hacked together some various airstrike and dropship methods (complete with aircraft zooming by delivering payloads) in an old Tribes mod that I've always been meaning to try and get working in Torque. I had used projectiles to simulate the aircraft and timed schedules for when to deploy the bombs or supplies which were simply items that turned into static shapes when they stopped moving (hit the ground). I imagine that could be done so much better now -- especially using rigid shapes and actual physics.
09/12/2010 (12:42 pm)
Quote:I used CSK when it first came out, and the Commander Map would never work on Vista machines, so never had the pleasure of trying that out.Really? I had the CSK working in Vista with no problems - the commander map and being able to deploy drops from it was one of the coolest things I liked about it along with the parachute spawns. But I do recall a bunch of people having other strange Vista issues with it also...
I had hacked together some various airstrike and dropship methods (complete with aircraft zooming by delivering payloads) in an old Tribes mod that I've always been meaning to try and get working in Torque. I had used projectiles to simulate the aircraft and timed schedules for when to deploy the bombs or supplies which were simply items that turned into static shapes when they stopped moving (hit the ground). I imagine that could be done so much better now -- especially using rigid shapes and actual physics.
#11
Edit: I used to love the old TGE demo with the sci-fi space craft, lights and AI running. Think it had bits of Tim Aste's pack in there.
09/12/2010 (12:48 pm)
Yeah, I think they fixed the Vista commander map bug, but way after release.. then I didn't use it once I started work on TGEa, and then T3D - couldn't get hold of the latest build at the time once the sites were shut down and GG stopped selling it. By this time I had created quite a few military items that still remain dormant until I get time to put them into use. Don't suppose you know how many mount points can be used in T3D, is it still 9, or is that collision. Can't remember! I have a sci-fi dropship going in the game that has 6 drop pods, 1 driver and 1 or 2 gun mounts, so that will be fun to get working!Edit: I used to love the old TGE demo with the sci-fi space craft, lights and AI running. Think it had bits of Tim Aste's pack in there.
#12
Not sure about the limit on mount points... I want to say 8 (even though that should be easily extendable if it is) but I think that's shapeImages that I'm thinking of.
09/12/2010 (1:02 pm)
Sounds like cool stuff.Not sure about the limit on mount points... I want to say 8 (even though that should be easily extendable if it is) but I think that's shapeImages that I'm thinking of.
#13
It would be good to see this working. One thing we're short of in the community is a drop in solution for drop zones. Maybe we could work on a military aircraft pack.
09/12/2010 (1:05 pm)
Quote:I had hacked together some various airstrike and dropship methods (complete with aircraft zooming by delivering payloads) in an old Tribes mod that I've always been meaning to try and get working in Torque.
It would be good to see this working. One thing we're short of in the community is a drop in solution for drop zones. Maybe we could work on a military aircraft pack.
#14
No guarantees, but as time permits (starting a new job this week) I'll see what I can do to get that old airstrike/dropship stuff prototyped in Torque.
09/12/2010 (1:09 pm)
I had been working on a vehicle resource/kit to demonstrate usage of wheeled, hover, and flying vehicles complete with driver and passenger seating but my example stopped at 4 seats. I kind of got frustrated with it a couple weeks ago finding that IFLs had been removed (needed for exhaust and thrust animations) and I'm not even sure that the forward/up jet animation activate/maintain functionality was even working... but do intend to return to it.No guarantees, but as time permits (starting a new job this week) I'll see what I can do to get that old airstrike/dropship stuff prototyped in Torque.
#15
PS. Good luck in your new job!
09/12/2010 (1:16 pm)
yeah that would be cool. Wish I was starting a new job :) Can't seem to get hired at the mo (by trade I'm a hands-on IT infrastructure or web dev manager + the odd flash game contract) - but seem to be doing an awesome amount of 3D game stuff at the moment - so I'm making the most of getting this game out. Maybe it's a sign.. lolPS. Good luck in your new job!
#16
Again nice model and good animation.
09/13/2010 (8:12 am)
Sounds great, but are these items gonna be paid for by real money? If so I sugguest not allowing them to be stolen. But if not then rock on.Again nice model and good animation.
#17
09/13/2010 (11:32 am)
Game is going to be one off payment, free to play mmo side with the option to pay a monthly subscription (if you don't want to spend your time generating virtual cash). In game cash is created for kills and experience points are gained - unlocking new weapons and abilities. So really you just lose out on some time if ambushed (free play), but then if you want to fast trek then I agree its the price you pay for losing those items - taking out insurance with a perimeter force-field will save the player some time, or money in the long run.
#18
09/13/2010 (11:36 am)
Everything in the game should (but don't quote me on it just yet) have a counter balance. Strategy does have some say, taking out a perimeter force field, upping your shield capacity before a cargo drop will greatly improve your chances of getting those items into safe storage. Alternatively drop the cargo somewhere that no one else can get to in time. I like the games that give you both sides of a coin.. you can win, but you can't always win! Or, you lose constantly until you up your strategy. 
Torque Owner D Fasel
Game 3D